Verbal communication skills are essential to the success of many careers, yet the fear of speaking in public is overwhelmingly common. No matter what position you hold in the workplace – manager, sales representative, or C-Suite – possessing the confidence to communicate your thoughts and ideas clearly is critical to how you are received by … Read More
Standing up in front of a room of peers or potential investors and delivering a concise and persuasive presentation can be daunting for anyone. The many challenges associated with public speaking and learning the skills to deliver an impactful presentation can directly influence the success of your work, brand, or company. Speechworks has decades of … Read More
Whether you are presenting a high-level sales pitch, giving a presentation or leading a meeting, words (and how you use them) have the power to create a meaningful connection with your audience. Speechworks has helped countless executives, leaders and company team members speak in a clear and compelling way through our workshops, individual coaching, and … Read More
I experienced a communication and relationship-building skills lesson that hit me like a one, two punch in a boxing match— all starting with browsing for a podcast to listen to while I did some gardening. Being Speechworks’ CEO and communications coach, the title of Rough Translation’s “How to Speak Bad English” got my attention – … Read More
It’s that time of year again – the birds are chirping, spring colors brighten the scenery, and it’s graduation time. And, that means that many of us will be treated to that long-standing public speaking tradition – the commencement address. Over the years, we’ve seen and heard A LOT of commencement speeches, and we’ve found … Read More
A highlight of any wedding reception is the toasts to the bride and groom. Of course, the toasts can also be a source of anxiety for the person who has to stand in front of everyone at the reception and speak while raising a glass. The best of these short speeches are touching and often … Read More
You thought becoming the valedictorian of your high school class was tough? That’s nothing compared to giving a great valedictory speech. Spend just a few minutes on YouTube and you’ll see that most valedictory speeches are boring and, worse, embarrassing. But there’s hope! You can give a great valedictory speech. Great valedictory speeches follow a … Read More
I wrote this post before I attended my 13-year-old cousin’s bat mitzvah, the traditional service marking a Jewish child’s passage into adulthood. A highlight of many bat/bar mitzvah services is the short blessing or speech from the parents. The best of these speeches are touching and often a little funny. They have stories that help … Read More
If you suffer from a fear of public speaking, you are not alone. Polls indicate that the fear of public speaking affects 70-75% of the population and is more common than the fear of spiders, confinement or even death. The fear of public speaking is anxiety driven and stems from our fear of being judged–our … Read More
Leo Tolstoy began his masterpiece “Anna Karenina” with the sentence “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Here’s my twist on that famous opening line: “All lousy webinars are alike; each good webinar is good by following a few principles”. Lousy webinars are an unfortunate fact of our … Read More
